UFOZoo

Data Storage Converter — Bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, PB

Convert between bytes, KB, MB, GB, TB, and PB. Supports binary (1024) and decimal (1000) systems. Understand OS vs manufacturer capacity differences.

Features

  • ✓Convert between data storage units: B, KB, MB, GB, TB, PB, EB
  • ✓Support for both binary (1024-based) and decimal (1000-based) systems
  • ✓Binary system: Used by operating systems (Windows, Linux) — 1 KB = 1024 B
  • ✓Decimal system: Used by storage manufacturers and SI standard — 1 KB = 1000 B
  • ✓Instant conversion as you type
  • ✓Automatic best unit detection for easy reading
  • ✓Precise calculations with up to 6 significant figures
  • ✓Copy results to clipboard

How to Use

  1. 1Enter a value in the input field. The result updates instantly.
  2. 2Choose the source unit and target unit using the dropdowns.
  3. 3Select the system: Binary (1024) for OS, Decimal (1000) for manufacturers.
  4. 4Click the swap button (⇄) to reverse the conversion direction.
  5. 5Click the copy button to copy the result to your clipboard.
  6. 6Check how much space you'll actually get — convert a 1 TB drive to GB in binary mode to see the real usable capacity (931 GB vs 1000 GB).
  7. 7Estimate download times by converting file size to bits — enter your file in MB and compare to your internet speed in Mbps.
  8. 8Compare cloud storage plans by converting all plans to TB for apples-to-apples comparison across different providers.
  9. 9Convert a video file size from GB to MB to check if it fits on a USB drive — enter 4.7 GB to see it equals ~4800 MB (decimal).
  10. 10Use the automatic best unit feature to quickly express file sizes in the most readable format — perfect for dashboard displays.

Frequently Asked Questions

What's the difference between binary and decimal systems?

∨
Binary system (1024-based) is used by operating systems: 1 KB = 1024 B, 1 MB = 1024 KB. Decimal system (1000-based) is used by storage manufacturers and the SI standard: 1 KB = 1000 B, 1 MB = 1000 KB. This is why a 1 TB hard drive shows only 931 GB in Windows.

Why do storage manufacturers use the decimal system?

∨
Using the decimal system makes the advertised capacity appear larger. A 1 TB drive has 1,000,000,000,000 bytes (decimal), which equals only 931 GB in binary (1,000,000,000,000 / 1024³). This is a common marketing practice.

Which system should I use?

∨
Use binary (1024) when working with operating systems, file sizes, or RAM. Use decimal (1000) when reading storage device labels, network bandwidth, or following SI standards. When in doubt, use binary for software and decimal for hardware.

What units are supported?

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Byte (B), Kilobyte (KB), Megabyte (MB), Gigabyte (GB), Terabyte (TB), Petabyte (PB), and Exabyte (EB). This covers the full range from individual bytes to exabyte-scale storage systems.

Is my data sent to a server?

∨
No. All calculations happen entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your input values are never transmitted over the network. The tool works offline after the page loads.

Why does my 500 GB hard drive only show 465 GB?

∨
Your 500 GB drive has 500,000,000,000 bytes (decimal). Operating systems use binary: divide by 1024³ (GB) = 465.66 GB. This 7% difference is standard across all storage devices. Manufacturers use decimal for marketing; OS uses binary for reporting.

What is a kibibyte (KiB) vs a kilobyte (KB)?

∨
A kibibyte (KiB) is 1024 bytes (binary). A kilobyte (KB) is 1000 bytes (decimal). The IEC standardized these prefixes in 1998 to resolve confusion. MiB/GiB are binary; MB/GB are decimal. Most operating systems incorrectly use MB/GB when they mean MiB/GiB.

How many photos or songs can I store?

∨
A typical 10 MP photo ≈ 3-5 MB. A 3-minute MP3 song ≈ 5-8 MB. A 1-minute 1080p video ≈ 100-200 MB. Enter your storage capacity in GB and divide by these estimates. For example, 256 GB could hold ~50,000 photos or ~32,000 songs.

What's the difference between a bit and a byte?

∨
A bit (b) is the smallest unit of data — either 0 or 1. A byte (B) is 8 bits. Internet speeds are measured in bits per second (Mbps), while file sizes are in bytes (MB). A 100 Mbps connection downloads at about 12.5 MB/s. The tool converts between both.

How much is 1 petabyte?

∨
1 PB = 1024 TB = ~1,048,576 GB. To put it in perspective: 1 PB can store ~200 million photos, ~130 million MP3 songs, or ~500 billion pages of text. The tool supports up to EB (exabyte) — 1 EB = 1024 PB, which is roughly the global internet traffic per month.

Why do network speeds use bits and storage uses bytes?

∨
Historically, network engineers measured transmission in bits per second (baud rate), while storage engineers measured capacity in bytes (minimum addressable unit). This convention persists today. A 1 Gbps (gigabit) network connection = 125 MB/s (megabytes per second) actual throughput.

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